I Am Ayah

History and the present collide in this fascinating and poignant new novel from Essence bestselling author Donna Hill.

The Amistad counted fifty-three captives on the ship en route to Cuba, but there were actually fifty-four. Now, more than a century later, the descendant of the one escapee from that fateful ship, Ayah Fleming, must return to the home she fled if she ever hopes to reconcile the events of the past in order to claim a present that eludes her.

Ayah Fleming has built her career capturing moments, images in time and place, displaying them for the world to see—the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful. Yet she shields herself from that same world behind the safety of her camera lens—unwilling to see her own truth until time, fate, and Zach Renard make it impossible to look away. Returning home to Sag Harbor was the last thing Ayah wanted to do, but she is powerless against the pull of the past that enters her present and shapes her future.

Through a handful of uncovered letters and diary entries, Ayah uncovers the truth about her descendants. She must decide if Zach's revelations and the shattering discoveries of her foremothers will propel her to continue to run from the arms of home and the love of Zach.

ISBN: 9781649371461 | Published: 31 October 2023 | Paperback | 368 pages